Bar Tabs and Birthdays
by iworkwithpens
Summary: A follow up to my story Battle Scars and Broken Hearts. A newly reconciled Will and Mackenzie have forgotten to inform their friends, co-workers, and superiors of their relationship status. To quote the great Neal Sampat, "what could possibly go wrong?"
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes: Set after the events of my fic Battle Scars and Broken Hearts. When we last left our favorite pair they were commiserating over drinks at Will's apartment after the ACN holiday party. This picks up a few weeks later. Our now reconciled anchor and E.P. have neglected to inform anyone else of their reunion. To quote the great Neal Sampat, "what could possibly go wrong?"**

Will knew all along that she would be the one to break. This was, after all, the woman who sent out mass emails about their private life. But what he hadn't counted on was just how publically she would blow it.

Ok, in all honesty, part of it was his fault. They'd only been back together a few weeks and they had both agreed that, for right now, no public announcements or declarations needed to be made. They were enjoying each other without the stress and strain of anyone else's opinions or feelings. Ever since that fateful holiday party, they had settled into a routine of subtle exploration and mapping out of the future.

Then he had the brilliant idea to throw Mackenzie a little birthday get together at Hang Chew's. He had assumed that the informal after work party would be a simple evening with friends…a few drinks and they would head home. What he had forgotten to consider was the fact that Mackenzie had eaten nothing that day other than a granola bar and some coffee at around 10am. He should have paid more attention to that.

He watched from the other side of the room as she indulged in a few shots of some unknown substance with the young associate producers and then teetered her way over to the booth he and Charlie were sitting in.

She plopped herself down next to him and began sipping at his scotch.

"You have a drink Mackenzie" he admonished and pushed the glass of red wine he had order toward her.

"Oh lovely, thanks" she said and took several gulps.

"Please slow down Mac" he pleaded.

"Don't be a party pooper Billy."

"Just how many shots did you have over there?" he asked, not exactly certain he wanted to know.

"I'm not sure. My birthday is the seventh right? I think Tess said something about drinking the same number of shots as my birth date."

She leaned her head against his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him. Charlie looked at the two of them with a grin.

"Hi Charlie!" she practically shouted across the table, as if realizing for the first time that the man was there.

"Hello Mackenzie. Happy Birthday" he said, still smirking at the woman's drunken display.

"I'm forty you know" she whispered loudly.

"I did know that Mac" Charlie replied.

"Actually, not for two more days Mackenzie. Your birthday isn't until Sunday" Will reminded her.

"Oh that's wonderful! I'm not forty yet!" She sipped at the remainder of her glass of red wine and seemed to be lost in thought about something. He wasn't sure he wanted to know what.

"Will! We were supposed to be in Paris!" she shouted suddenly, sitting straight up and looking at him like he should have known this.

"Excuse me Mac?" he asked.

"We always said we would have my fortieth in Paris Billy."

"That was years ago Mackenzie. I didn't think you were holding me to that" he replied uncertainly. He vaguely remembered a conversation on her thirty-fifth birthday of what they would do when she turned forty and he turned fifty-five. God, that seemed like a million years ago now. Back before Brian Brenner and cheating and running off to war zones and dating women that were half his age. They had been lying in bed together after celebrating their joint birthdays…his was just a few weeks after hers. He had only half seriously suggested a vacation in Paris to mark the occasion a few years down the road. Why she had chosen this moment to remember that was beyond him.

"Maybe later Kenz" he whispered into her hair, hoping she would let the subject drop and remember that no one here knew they were back together yet.

"Your birthday's next month Billy. Can we do it then?" she asked eagerly.

Damn, he hated that look. It was the look that could get him to do anything.

"We'll see Kenz, ok?"

"Charlie, did you know that 'we'll see' usually means no? He said the same thing the other night when I wanted to have sex in the shower. Not that sex in the bathtub wasn't extremely enjoyable, but I knew the minute he said we'll see it meant absolutely not."

Will watched as Charlie nearly choked on his scotch and started laughing.

"Was there something you two forgot to tell me?" Charlie asked with a grin.

"Did we forget to tell him something Will?" Mackenzie wondered aloud.

"Just a little something Mac. But you're doing an excellent job of making a public announcement on your own" he grumbled, looking down into his drink and wishing like hell he had made her eat something before she started drinking.

"I didn't announce anything Will. Are you upset with me?" she whined. Oh lord, here it comes. She was always the life of the party when she started drinking, but then quickly morphed into weepy and morose Mackenzie. He knew she wouldn't want everyone to see that. Time to make a quick get-away.

He pulled his wallet out and handed a credit card over to Charlie.

"Charlie could you…?" he started, but the older man beat him to it and took the card over toward the bar.

Unfortunately, Sloan took that opportunity to fill his seat.

"Sloan!" Mackenzie shouted.

"Hi Kenz" the younger woman replied, looking toward Will as if to say what the hell were you thinking?

"Sloan, did you know I am almost forty and I am _not_ in Paris?!"

"I did know that Kenz. Were you supposed to be in Paris?"

"Billy told me we would be, didn't you Billy?" she asked, once again draping herself over him and looking up at him.

"Mackenzie, we've had this conversation already" he replied wearily.

"I know that Billy, but that was with Charlie. Maybe Sloan has some insight into the situation."

"What situation might that be _Billy_?" Sloan asked snidely.

"Nothing Sloan. Let it go, please" he begged.

"He promised me we would celebrate my fortieth in Paris. Now, it seems he's trying to weasel out of it by saying that we discussed this nearly five years ago, but I think that if I can sleep next to him while he snores louder than a fucking garbage disposal then he owes me that trip to Paris. Don't you Sloan?" Mackenzie asked.

"Well, that depends Kenz" Sloan said seriously, all the while looking at Will like he had just grown antlers.

"Depends on what Sloan?" Mackenzie whispered, leaning forward to hear what her friend had to say on the subject.

"On how long the two of you have been back together."

"Five weeks and three days" Mackenzie replied.

Wait, she could barely stand up straight but she knew _exactly_ how long they had been back together? What the hell Mackenzie, he thought to himself. He was sure he was staring at her and turning three shades of red right now. Usually she was the one who blushed furiously at any discussion of her private life, but when she was drunk all bets were off. She seemed to give no thought to the amount of personal information she shared with others. God, he really needed to get her out of here soon, but Sloan was giving him a look that said take the drunk woman spouting all her deepest darkest secrets out of here anytime in the near future and I will kill you.

"Five weeks and three days, huh?" Sloan asked rhetorically.

"Yes, Sloan" Will replied tiredly. "Can we please not discuss this now? She's all fun and games for the first couple of hours of getting drunk, but trust me, you won't want her anywhere near your Prada boots in a little while."

Sloan reared back in disgust. "Point taken Will. But this is not over."

"I'm sure it's not Sloan" he replied tiredly. "Can you help me get her to the car?"

"Come on Kenz, up and at 'em" she told her wobbling friend. Mackenzie was currently looking a little green.

"Do not throw up on these boots Mackenzie. I will make you regret not telling me about you and Will" Sloan reprimanded.

"What didn't I tell you about me and Will?" Mackenzie slurred. "Do you want to know what he did to me the other night in the bathtub?"

"Mackenzie!" Will shouted.

"What? You should be proud that you're still that flexible Will."

Sloan laughed so hard she began to choke.

"It's not funny Sloan" Will grumbled.

"It is abso-fucking-lutely hysterical Will" Sloan replied.

Somehow the two of them managed to drag Mackenzie out to the SUV Lonny had pulled up and mercifully there was no sign of paparazzi or camera-wielding tourists. As Mackenzie slumped against him, Will heard Sloan call out "I expect a full report on Monday morning you two!"

"Thanks a lot Mac" Will murmured to his passed out girlfriend.

"You're welcome Billy" she mumbled and he laughed.

**To Be Continued…**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes: I feel the need to clear up a timeline here before we get too much further into this tale. As I mentioned previously, this is a follow up to my fic Battle Scars and Broken Hearts. That story was meant to take place four months after the season one finale, at the ACN Christmas party. This story is meant to take place a few weeks after that party. Ok, now that we have all that cleared up…on with the show! **

The smell of coffee was the first thing Mackenzie became aware of the next morning. And, while usually quite pleasant, this morning the bitter scent was turning her stomach.

"Ugh" she grumbled into the couch cushion. Wait…couch cushion? Why the hell was she on the couch?

"Will?" she croaked out through parched lips.

"Sleeping Beauty awakes" he shouted.

"Not so loud" she pleaded. "Why am I on the sofa?" she asked as he plopped down next to her.

"Because you collapsed onto it the minute we walked in here last night. I tried to move you but you told me you would castrate me if I forced you to take one more step. I figured I better listen. Coffee?" he asked as he offered her his cup.

"Oh God, get that away from me" she begged. He handed her a bottle of water and some aspirin instead.

"I knew there was a reason I loved you" she murmured as she threw the aspirin into her mouth.

"Apparently there are several reasons. And you enjoyed sharing them with half the staff last night Mac."

"What? When did I do that?"

"I believe it was after tequila shot number seven."

"Oh good lord! What did I say?"

"Something about a trip to Paris and that you enjoy having sex in the bathtub with me. Charlie was highly entertained."

"Will! Why the hell didn't you get me out of there?!"

"I tried Mackenzie. Charlie tried. Sloan tried. You aren't terribly cooperative after mixing tequila, scotch and wine."

"Oh God, don't remind me of what I drank" she pleaded, looking a little green at the mention of the previous night's activities.

"Do not throw up on this couch Mackenzie. Just because you want to buy some ugly monstrosity from Pottery Barn does not mean you are allowed to deface my furniture!"

He watched as she covered her mouth and ran for the bathroom.

"Thank you for avoiding the leather upholstery!" he called out after her.

"You're welcome" she whimpered when she trudged back into the living room a few minutes later. She collapsed back onto the sofa and pulled a blanket over her entire body.

"We're supposed to meet your parents for dinner tonight. Did you want me to cancel?" he asked, rubbing her back sympathetically.

"No. They're only in town for a few days and my father is so looking forward to seeing you again. I don't want to disappoint him."

"I think throwing up on his steak at Morton's will be a bigger disappointment Mac."

"Will! Please stop mentioning what I drank last night and what food I will likely be faced with tonight. If I have any hope of being presentable by seven o'clock you need to stop making me nauseous."

"Yes dear. I'm going to go check my email and leave you alone to your misery. Let me know if you need anything."

"Thank you" she mumbled.

"Oh, just one more thing. You do realize you outed us to Sloan Sabbith last night, right? I'm guessing you should be expecting a phone call at any moment."

"Fuck" she groaned.

"Sorry. Not trying to bring up anything else unpleasant."

"Not helping Will!" she called out to his retreating form.

"We have a doorman and an elevator that requires a passcode. She can't get up here if you don't want her to Mackenzie."

"You don't know Sloan Sabbith" she grumbled. Just then her cell phone rang.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Where are you right now? And is Will there? And do I want to know what he's doing to you?" Sloan threw out the questions in such quick succession Mackenzie wasn't sure that it wasn't all one very long word.

"Can you slow down please? My brain is still soaking in alcohol Sloan."

"I can imagine. Never seen a one hundred pound woman down so many shots of tequila."

"I weigh more than that but thank you for the compliment."

"So, is he there?" Sloan asked again.

"Is who here?"

"Stop being obtuse Kenz. Is Will with you?"

"Of course he is. He lives here. Is Don with _you_?"

"No, why the hell would Don be with me? He lives with Maggie."

"My point exactly Sloan. Stop questioning me about my love life until you figure your own out please."

"Where's the fun in that? Besides, I use you and Will as a barometer for how fucked up my relationship with Don is. I thought you two were totally off the Richter scale in terms of messed up interpersonal relations. Turns out you guys are practically Ward and June Cleaver."

"I wouldn't go that far Sloan. Do you see me in an apron with 2.4 kids and a dog?"

"No, but give it time Mackenzie. Give it time."

"Was there something you needed Sloan?"

"Yeah. Let me up" the younger woman instructed.

"What? What do you mean let you up? Where are you?"

"Downstairs."

"How do you know where I am?"

"I'm blind, not stupid Mac. You are at Will's, not that dumpy little loft you like to call home."

"Hey!" Mackenzie replied indignantly. "I liked that dumpy little loft!"

"_Liked_? As in past tense? Do you live here now?" Sloan demanded.

"Oh for God's sake! I'll tell the doorman to let you up."

"About time" Sloan grumbled and hung up.

A few minutes later Mackenzie heard the elevator door open and a loud wolf whistle.

"I'd heard it was nice, but damn Kenz! Look at this view!" Sloan called out as she walked toward the windows.

"I'd rather not right now" she groaned from the sofa.

"Oh right. How's the hangover?" Sloan asked as she flopped onto the sofa.

"Sloan! Please stop jiggling the couch."

"Sorry. So, where is your man?"

"In the other room. Where is _your_ man?"

"I don't have one right now. Maybe Will could introduce me to someone. We could double date!" Sloan shouted as if she had just had the most brilliant idea in the world.

"We're going out with my parents tonight. I don't really think my father is your type" Mackenzie mumbled into her pillow.

"He's already meeting the parents? I thought you said you guys had only been back together for a few weeks? And already you live together and he's meeting your family?"

"Sloan, he met my family nearly eight years ago. Good lord, this isn't my first college boyfriend I'm bringing home for the weekend!"

"Who _was_ the first boyfriend you brought home for the weekend Mac? I'd like to know what your father has been comparing me to all this time" Will asked as he headed to the kitchen for more coffee.

"I think Mark Atherton was the first boyfriend I brought home. He made a brilliant first impression. Drank all my father's whiskey and smoked pot in the guest room. My father was _not_ amused."

"Then why does he have a problem with a Republican? I send the man bottles of twenty year old Glenlivet" Will wondered aloud.

"He never had a problem with you Will. He adores you. He just likes to goad you into an argument. It's fun for him" Mackenzie chuckled a little at the memories of her father and Will going head to head for hours over the state of the world. She'd never seen her father happier…she was looking forward to tonight, if only she could get rid of this damn hangover.

"Good to know Lord McHale approves. I'd hate to be on that man's shit list" Will mumbled.

"_Lord_ McHale? As in hereditary title…Member of Parliament and all that? Doesn't that make you a Lady?" Sloan asked, staring at her friend as if she'd just sprouted an extra limb.

"Thanks a lot Will" Mackenzie cursed.

"Sorry. It's not like it's a state secret Mac. Jesus Sloan, you never thought to Google her?" Will laughed at the completely stunned expression on the financial analyst's face.

"Yeah, that's the first thing I do to all my friends Will. I Google them" Sloan mocked.

"You knew her father was an ambassador. Did you think they just hand that kind of thing out as a party favor? Margaret Thatcher was her godmother too. You should see the christening photos. It's like a fucking who's who of British monarchy and government. My baby pictures look like something out of the Great Depression compared to hers. I'm playing with dirt in the backyard and she's at the Queen's garden party!" Will exclaimed.

"Alright, have we covered my childhood sufficiently everyone? I'm going to take a shower. No more gossiping you two" she glowered at them and headed off toward the bedroom.

"When are you popping the question?" Sloan asked, stunning the news anchor into silence for a moment.

"What? We just got back together. Can we date for a little while before you have us walking down the aisle Sloan?"

"No. You two aren't getting any younger you know? Get a move on McAvoy!"

"Thanks for the advice Sloan. Last time I listened to you I ended up on the business end of a loaded .22 caliber pistol. Forgive me if I don't find you to be a trusted source for romantic counsel."

"You adore her" Sloan responded in a sing-song voice.

"Obviously. Don't you have anywhere else to be on a beautiful Saturday morning? You know, like in your own home?"

"Why? This place is so much better than my own home."

"That's why it's _my_ home Sloan. Don't push Mackenzie, ok? She's dealing with some things right now and I'd rather not see her spend too many more weekends detoxifying from tequila."

"Are you guys ok?" Sloan asked, real concern showing on her face.

"Yeah, we're fine. Just tread carefully, please? You have an unusually well-developed talent for putting your foot in your mouth."

"Fine" Sloan huffed and sank back into the sofa cushions.

"Sloan?" Will asked quietly.

"Yeah?"

"If you _do_ happen to stick your foot in it and you learn something that _might_ be useful to me, you'd tell me right? I mean, if I needed to know…to help Mac?" he pleaded.

"I'm _her_ friend first Will."

"I know that. I'm just saying….well, I'm asking as a concerned partner. She doesn't get drunk like that Sloan. Last night, while humorous at times, was an aberration. That wasn't my Mackenzie and I only want to help her, if I can."

"I know Will. And if something worries me I'll let you know."

"That's all I'm asking." He handed Sloan a cup of coffee and retreated to his study.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes: Thanks for all the lovely feedback and reviews guys…it makes my heart sing! This chapter and the next are a bit short, but they get us where we need to go plot-wise, so try to be patient. As always, I don't own The Newsroom. But I really, really love it a lot. That counts for something, right? And I would just like to say to HBO and Aaron Sorkin that season 2 better be amazing if we have to wait until July 14****th**** for the premiere. On with the story…**

As she stands in the shower, letting the water pound down on her neck and shoulders, Mackenzie finds herself repeating one mantra over and over again.

"I will not throw up…I will not throw up" she whispers urgently. It doesn't work and she dashes from the shower and bends over the toilet once more.

"I am never drinking again" she mutters to herself. She wraps her hair in a towel and grabs another to sling around her body. She is still trying to cover herself as she walks into the bedroom in search of her robe.

"I know Will says he's a leg man, but I'm guessing those breasts had something to do with it too" Sloan remarked from her position on their bed.

"Jesus Christ Sloan, I thought you were still in the living room!" she shouts at her friend and grasps her towel a little more tightly around herself.

"I think I was making Will nervous. He tried to pour me three cups of coffee in the last ten minutes. He's really not very good with people is he?"

"He's solitary. There's nothing wrong with that" Mackenzie says sharply, suddenly feeling like both she and Will are under attack.

"Calm down Kenz. I was just making an observation. You two are good together."

"I like to think so. Was there something you needed Sloan?"

"Yeah. Get dressed. I need a tall latte and you need to tell me what the hell has your panties in a twist."

"Nothing has my panties in a twist, as you so elegantly put it. I'm fine. Better than fine…I'm great."

Mackenzie takes a seat in the lounge chair in the corner of the room and harshly scrapes a comb through her hair, fervently wishing her nosy co-worker would find someone else to bother, someone who wasn't unbelievably hungover. Sloan walks over and grabs the comb from her hands and tries to gently untangle the knots in her friend's hair.

"What's the deal Kenz? He adores you and he's worried about you." That caught her attention.

"What do you mean he's worried? What did he say to you?" Mackenzie asked harshly.

"Just trust me when I say the man only wants to help. You're scaring the shit out of him, you know?"

"That's exactly what I _didn't_ want to do. God, I can fuck up even the simplest interactions with him."

"What do you mean? What did you fuck up this time Kenz? You didn't send another mass email did you?" Sloan asked, sitting down beside her friend and watching in shock as tears roll down her cheeks.

"I was kidding Mackenzie. That wasn't it, was it? Did I miss an email with details about your sex life or something?"

"No, Sloan. Besides, Will checks my Blackberry every morning to make sure auto-complete isn't turned on. I think he's trying to disable my email altogether, or hire someone to type the damn things for me."

Mackenzie starts laughing hysterically and mumbling under her breath about 'fucking emails' and Sloan is just about ready to yell for Will when her giggles finally calm.

"What's so funny Kenz?"

"Nothing…everything. Fuck if I know Sloan. I have everything I ever wanted and I think I'm losing my mind" she whispered.

"Want to try talking about it?" Sloan asked, more than a little concerned at her friend's less than coherent thought patterns.

"That's just it. I can't" Mackenzie chuckled harshly.

"Why? Is it Will? Is this not what you wanted Mackenzie? Because you really need to decide that pretty damn fast. I'm not trying to make this any harder on you, but if you're going to leave him, do it before he gets used to you being here."

"No! That's not it at all! Don't even say that Sloan. It would kill him and it would kill me and he doesn't need to hear you talking like that!" Mackenzie whispered harshly, hoping like hell Will hadn't heard one bit of that sentence.

"Then what is it? You've got to tell someone before you spend another night drowning in tequila Kenz. You really aren't cut out for binge drinking. Trust me, I witnessed what I thought was nearly sexual harassment. If you two weren't already an item Will would have grounds for a lawsuit based on what you did to him in public last night."

"Jesus Christ! What exactly did I do?"

"Let's just say, the man has restraint, I'll give him that. You were practically in his lap for the better part of the evening, and I'm not really sure where your hands were most of the time."

"Oh my God, I'm never going to be able to show my face in the office again" Mackenzie whispered, dropping her head into her hands.

"Don't worry about it Kenz. It's not like we all didn't know you two had a past. We just didn't know you had a present as well. Now we do."

"Sloan, I appreciate the pep talk. Really. But can you do me a favor and go home? I'm not in the mood for idle chit-chat today."

"Nope. You won't talk to Will so you're stuck with me. You don't have any friends, remember?" Sloan asked, most likely rhetorically.

"Fine, but get the hell out of my bedroom and let me get dressed ok? Will and my OB/GYN are the only people who see me naked."

"Hurry up Mackenzie, I don't think Will wants to be alone with me for too long" Sloan called out as she left the room.

"Gee, I wonder why?" Mackenzie muttered as she wearily got dressed.

"What happened to her?" Sloan asked as she returned to the kitchen.

"What do you mean what happened to her?" Will replied, concern showing on his face.

"The scar. What happened to her?" Sloan asked, as if she were asking about the weather. She grabbed an apple from the bowl on the counter and took a seat on a bar stool and waited for an explanation.

"You've never looked at any of her coverage from the Middle East? You've never talked to Jim about any of it?" Will asked, stunned.

"No. I'm a finance geek. I read the front page every morning, but I'm hardly doing in-depth research on foreign policy. Why?"

"She was stabbed Sloan. When she was in Pakistan, during a religious protest. That's why she and Jim came back to the U.S. You really didn't know?"

"No! Is she ok? I mean, obviously she recovered, but…" Sloan's speech dribbled off and she just looked at Will with fear and anxiety.

"She's fine Sloan. It was touch and go for a while when it happened, but yeah, she's fine now. She doesn't like to talk about it, so steer clear of the subject please?" Will pleaded quietly as Mackenzie entered the room looking much better than she had earlier.

"You two going out?" Will asked a little too brightly.

"Yeah, Sloan wants coffee and apparently she feels the need to drag me along with her. I'll be back in awhile. Do you want anything while we're out?" Mackenzie asked, as she searched for her purse and keys.

"No, I'm fine" he told her, pointing toward the kitchen table where the missing items were perched.

"Thanks" she smiled and grabbed his t-shirt to pull him toward her so she could kiss him goodbye.

"That's enough you two. Just because I'm happy for you doesn't mean I want to see you going at it in the kitchen" Sloan warned.

"It's _my _kitchen Sloan. When we're offending you in _your_ home, then you can complain about it" Will snapped.

"Will, be nice to our guest. Sloan, get out before his patience wears thin" Mackenzie instructed and walked toward the elevator.

"Were you always his human credential?" Sloan asked later as they walked down Fifth Avenue, coffees in hand.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Mackenzie asked, not sure whether to be offended or complimented.

"It's something I heard at a dinner party once. A friend of mine from college was always this aloof loner and, oddly enough, he married this lovely, gregarious woman who charmed everyone she met. When I commented on how different they were, Matthew said his wife was his human credential. If someone like her was with him, then he must have some redeeming value that the general public just wasn't seeing. So I ask again, are you his human credential?"

"No, I think he's mine" Mackenzie whispered. "You don't know him Sloan, so don't judge. I've always had everything in life. A loving family, money, good schools…the best of everything. He never had a fucking thing. And yet, he made this amazing life for himself. I like to think that, if someone like Will can take _me_ back…well, that is _my_ human credential Sloan."

"Wow. You've got it bad, don't you?" Sloan asked, a little in awe of the words that had just tumbled from her friend's mouth.

"I do."

"Ok, then what the hell has you wound so tight that you needed to drown your sorrows in tequila?"

"Nothing Sloan. Just let it go please" Mackenzie pleaded.

"Why won't you talk to anyone Kenz?" Sloan asked. "You tell half a million people why you and Will split up but you won't tell your friends or the love of your life what has you so upset?"

"When I can, I'll talk about it Sloan. And that will happen with my significant other, not with you. Trust me, I'm fine. I'm just under a lot of stress right now. Let's finish our coffee and go to Tiffany's. Retail therapy can be a wonderful thing" Mackenzie said firmly, and started walking quickly ahead.

"You're stalling Mackenzie. I _will_ get it out of you sooner or later" Sloan mumbled as she tried to keep up with her friend's long strides.

**More Author's Notes: In case you're wondering, the "human credential" thing is an homage to another beloved show that is no longer on the air. Bonus points if you know which one. And don't Google it…that's not fair!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes: Well, I'm back again, and hopefully this chapter is better than the last. For anyone who picked up on it, I apologize for mixing my use of past and present tenses in chapter three. Unfortunately, it couldn't be avoided. For some reason it took an agonizingly long time to write it and several re-writes were involved. Finally I figured, oh what the hell, just post the damn thing before you give up on this story altogether! And if anyone was still looking for the answer to the last little mystery I left you with…."human credential" is an homage to The X-Files. On with the story…**

"Mac! Mac? Mackenzie?!" Their voices were all starting to blend together into a cacophony of pleading whines and it was grating on her last nerve. She'd managed to just barely make it through dinner with Will and her parents Saturday night without embarrassing herself, but her head was still pounding. Even after a lazy Sunday in bed and a decent night's sleep she continued to feel the effects of her impromptu birthday party.

"Mac? How many graphics do you want for the first segment?" Joey asked as she walked down the hallway toward the pitch meeting. She handed him her notes detailing each graph and chart she needed. She was certain she had already told him this three times, but maybe the young man was a more visual thinker. Maybe if he held cold, hard proof in his hands of what she wanted done he would finally stop pestering her.

"Mackenzie? We couldn't get a comment from the Fed or Treasury on the Occupy Wall Street protests. Who else did you want me to call?" Maggie questioned, trying hard to keep up with her boss' long strides through the newsroom.

"Ask Jim" she sighed. Did the associate producers not realize that Jim was their immediate superior? Why did every damn question or problem eventually make its way to _her_ desk? Didn't anyone in this office understand the concept of chain of command?

"You need to stop using Windows XP on your desktop Mackenzie. Microsoft isn't supporting it much longer and IT needs to update your computer anyway. They can do it this afternoon while you're at lunch" Neal reminded her as she pushed through the door into the conference room.

"Are you even _eating_ lunch today Mac?" Will chuckled.

"If you're not I needed to talk to you about…" but she cut Don off before he could finish.

"That's it!" she shouted, slamming her notebook and papers down on the table. "I am not a fucking customer service hotline! I cannot answer every God damn question every person in this office has every fucking moment of the day! Do any of you bother to talk to each other? Do you try to figure out a solution to your problems _before_ you bring them to me? Let's pretend, for one second, that I have a fucking life outside of this office and that I might, I don't know, actually decide to take a day off on some rare occasion. What the hell would all of you do then, huh? Think about it! And for today, let's try to play make believe and act like you're all reasonably intelligent, competent adults who know how to do your jobs without my help. Could we try _that _for a change? Please?" she begged, storming out of the conference room and leaving a stunned and confused staff in her wake.

"I'll be right back" Will said quietly as he left the room in search of his E.P.

He found her office empty, but her coat and purse still slung over a chair in the corner. She was here somewhere and she was going to talk to him, damn it, if he had to drag it out of her. He stalked down the halls looking for any sign of her, ducking his head into his own office on the off chance that she had hidden in there. No sign of her…but then he noticed his bathroom door was shut.

"Mackenzie" he said, as he softly knocked on the door. He thought he may have heard a sniffle or two so he pushed open the door and found her curled up in the corner of the room, practically hidden underneath the sink.

"Do you want to tell me what that was all about out there?" he asked in a surprisingly level tone.

"No" she said as she wiped the tears from her face.

"You don't yell at people like that Mackenzie. You never yell at people in anger. Frustration or passion maybe, but never anger Mac. What's going on?" he asked, trying to sink down carefully next to her on the floor.

"I don't know. I'm so sorry Will. I should go apologize" she tried to get up but he pulled her back down.

"No, they've worked around the two of us long enough. They should be used to angry, emotional outbursts by now. So, tell me what's wrong" he pleaded, pulling her hand into his lap and wrapping it in both of his.

"I can't" she whispered.

"Sure you can. You just open your mouth and start spilling all your deepest, darkest secrets. You're good at it Mac. Do you want me to get your Blackberry? Maybe if you put it in an email you'll feel like sharing" he teased. She sniffled again and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"I think I need to get out of here for a while Will. Would you mind if Don produced you tonight?" she asked warily. He was shocked. She almost never willingly left _her_ show in the hands of others.

"Of course I'll mind. The man doesn't know when to shut up. I can understand why Sloan pulled out her earpiece" he grumbled.

"Generally speaking, I don't know how to shut up either Will, but it doesn't seem to bother you."

"I like your voice better. Hell, you could probably read the phonebook into my ear and I'd find it sexy. Wanna try it sometime?" he said, nudging her playfully in the side.

"Maybe later. Apologize to them for me, will you?" she asked as she hefted herself off the floor and turned around to offer him a hand.

"Mac?"

"Yeah?" she turned back toward him.

"You'll be at home when I get there, right?" he asked, uncertainly. They'd only been back together a few weeks, and part of him was still unsure of her commitment. Would she be there when he returned?

"Of course" she said firmly, squeezing his hands in hers. "I promise Will…I'm not leaving _you_."

"Ok" he replied, letting out a shaky breath he didn't even realize he'd been holding in. Only later would he realize what she had said. She wasn't leaving _him._ What exactly did that mean?

"Alright, that's it!" he shouted as he burst into Sloan's office later. She nearly jumped out of her chair in response.

"What the hell Will?! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" she asked, attempting to calm her breathing and grab up the papers she had nearly thrown into the air when he bowled into the room screaming at her.

"No, of course I'm not. You have information I need, why would I want to kill you now?" he asked rhetorically.

"What information do I have that you want? Please don't tell me you want me to try to explain the derivatives market to Mackenzie again. Because I just can't do it, Will. The woman is a genius but I can't spend another evening watching her count on her fingers while I try to clarify leverage and risk management" Sloan moaned.

"You _know_ something" he barked out, narrowing his eyes at her.

"I don't know anything. Well, actually I know a lot of things, but I don't have the first clue what you're talking about right now."

"Yes you do and that's why you're stalling. What did she say when you two went out for coffee?" he demanded, advancing on her desk.

"Nothing! I swear Will, she didn't tell me anything" Sloan held up her hands in surrender.

"I'm sorry. I just don't know what to do for her" he replied, plopping into the chair in front of her desk.

To say Sloan Sabbith was shocked would be an understatement. She had never, in a million years, imagined she would have Will McAvoy sitting in her office asking for relationship advice.

"If it helps any, I think she _wants_ to talk to you" Sloan offered.

"Then why won't she?!" he exclaimed, slamming his hands down on the desk.

"I don't know Will."

"Usually, the woman can't shut up! Do you know how many nights I've fallen asleep listening to her talk? I've never been so desperate to hear her flighty nighttime ramblings in my life" he muttered.

Damn, Sloan thought, when would she find a man that loved her this much? He was practically desperate for his girlfriend to talk to him about her problems. That was a rarity. Didn't Mackenzie see what she had right here in front of her?

"Then tell her that" Sloan said softly.

"I've told her ten ways to Sunday Sloan. She still isn't talking!"

"You're going about it all wrong Will" she said simply, as if speaking to a small child.

"What do you mean?" he asked, looking at Sloan like maybe, just maybe, she was going to solve all his problems.

"You're badgering her. It's the surest way to get her to shut up. Trust me, I tried that already, and I only pissed her off."

"So what? I just sit around and watch her self-destruct while I wait for her to decide that she finally feels like sharing?"

"Yeah, that's pretty much it. Either that or you get her drunk again. But this time, keep her at home please, I don't need to see her pawing at you in public. Once was enough for me" Sloan shuddered remembering Friday night's festivities.

"If you think that was Mackenzie pawing at me you really need to get out more Sloan" Will chuckled at the shocked look on the economist's face.

"Please, I have to be on air in five hours. Don't mess with my mind like that Will."

"Hey, Sloan?" he asked, before he left her office.

"Yeah?"

"You're a good friend, you know that?"

"Of course I know that. Now, go find your woman. Or ask Charlie to find her. She seems to be in and out of his office all the time these days" Sloan mumbled, looking around at the mess of paperwork lining her desk. That was why she didn't see the gleam in Will's eye as he rushed from the room.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Notes: Loving the comments/reviews from you guys…especially the guesses as to what the hell has Mackenzie strung tighter than a snare drum. I sure am hoping I don't disappoint when all is revealed. Before I get you anymore upset over it, suffice it to say, it's not the end of the world. Nobody is dying or anything. So sit back, take a deep breath, and enjoy!**

"You! Start talking right now or I am dumping every damn bottle of scotch in here down the sink!" Will exclaimed as he entered Charlie Skinner's office. He was serious, by the looks of it, because he headed straight for the shelf containing several bottles of the vintage brew and started picking them up one by one.

"Put down the Booker's bottle and nobody gets hurt Will" Charlie said evenly.

"What are you and Mackenzie talking about in here every day?" Will growled back.

"What do you mean?" Charlie tried for an upbeat, thoroughly innocuous tone. It didn't work.

"Cut the crap old man. I have spies everywhere. I'm told Mackenzie is in and out of here on a near-hourly basis the last couple of weeks. Answer my question or the Booker's gets it!" Will said firmly, still holding a bottle of twenty year old scotch in his hand as ransom.

Charlie grabbed two mugs off his desk and set them in front of Will. "You pour, I'll talk" he commanded and Will followed his orders, sitting down in front of the older man's desk with his mug of scotch.

"Why am I drinking scotch at 11am Charlie?"

"Why not?" Charlie wondered aloud.

"What do you and Mackenzie know that I don't?" Will pleaded.

"A lot of things, I'm sure."

"Stop stalling Charlie and get to the point."

"We have another whistle blower…within the company this time. There's a reason Mac's phone was hacked."

"I'm listening" Will whispered and took a gulp of scotch for good measure.

"Reese is trying to get rid of her." Charlie sat back and tried to gauge Will's reaction. He hadn't known the two of them were back together when all this started, not for certain anyway. If he had, he never would have told Mackenzie, because he was sure she would have shared this news with Will. Obviously she hadn't. Damn, the woman could keep a secret, he had to hand it to her. Then again, if anyone knew just how explosive Will McAvoy's temper could be, it was him and Mac. She was obviously trying to protect both their source and the man she loved.

"Will!" he shouted, when he looked up to see the news anchor slam his mug down on the desk and bolt for the door.

"I'll kill him! I will wring his fucking scrawny little neck!" Will shouted as he threw the door open.

"You can't!" Charlie shouted right back.

"Why not? She has a contract. She does her job brilliantly. Ratings are up. There is absolutely no legitimate reason for him to fire her!"

"There is and you know it" Charlie replied, pulling Will's hand off the door handle and trying to guide him back into the office.

"What?!" Will huffed out, clenching his fists at his sides as if he might hit someone if he didn't.

"The two of you" Charlie said simply.

"What?"

"You didn't tell Human Resources. She's practically living with her immediate supervisor. And you still have the right to fire her at the end of every week. To the outside observer it might look like she was trying to secure her position at the company."

"Fuck" Will cursed under his breath and slunk back into the chair he had previously occupied.

"My thoughts exactly. And that's not even what the whistle blower came to us with. You tried to buy another journalist's silence Will, and I use the term journalist very loosely where Nina Howard is concerned, but you did it to protect Mackenzie. That one action got Reese wondering what else he could find out about the two of you. You may have been oblivious as to how obvious your feelings for each other were for several months now, but no one else around here was. Look, I'm happy for you both. I just wish you'd gone through the proper channels first."

"That's my fault. We didn't want to tell anyone until we were sure it was going to work out. Oh hell, we just wanted to keep it to ourselves for a little while. Then I had the brilliant idea to throw Mac a birthday party at a bar when I knew she hadn't eaten anything all day. I should have known she wouldn't be able to keep her mouth shut once the alcohol started flowing" he said, hanging his head in defeat.

"She never did hold her liquor very well" Charlie chuckled.

"Who's the whistle blower?" Will asked, suddenly remembering the beginning of this whole conversation.

"I can't tell you."

"Charlie, this is ridiculous! You know, Mac knows…all I have to do is poor her an extra glass of wine or two at dinner and I'll probably know too. Just tell me" he pleaded, getting up and pacing the room.

"Will, this person came to Mackenzie and me under the strict instructions that no one else in the company be told. We're working on it. Let us do that. In the mean time, just try not to be too public about the two of you until we have this settled, ok?"

"Fine" Will exhaled sharply. "Can I at least tell her we've talked?" he asked hopefully.

"I suppose."

"Good, because the woman is going to have a heart attack soon if she doesn't relax" Will responded.

"So, take her out to dinner after the show. Have a nice evening..." Charlie started but was cut off.

"She left Charlie. She handed the show over to Don for tonight" Will informed him.

"Hell, she must really be hanging by a thread to do that. Don't let him do any Pop News or YouTube segments…she'll spontaneously combust!" Charlie chuckled.

"Yeah. You find this funny because you don't live with her. Try spending an evening alone with the woman after she sees that shit!" Will grumbled. Sometimes Charlie's ability to find humor in every fucking situation really irritated him. Occasionally, he had to admit, it was a comfort.

"She wouldn't keep it a secret if it wasn't important Will."

"I know. Just…keep an eye on her for me Charlie, ok?"

"Of course." And with that, Will left the room and prayed like hell that Don wasn't getting any ideas about running a story about the demise of the Twinkie. Mackenzie really would cook him and eat him.

**Oh….cliffhanger again?! Are you ready to kill me yet? Never fear…the identity of the whistle blower will soon be revealed. Stay tuned…**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Notes: Thanks for being patient guys. I'm trying to keep up with all my stories, but I've been a bit unwell lately, so I apologize for falling behind. Before you start reading this chapter, I remind you once again, that this whole story is a follow up to my fic Battle Scars and Broken Hearts. This particular chapter refers back to some events in that, so if you're foggy on the details, go re-read. That said, I am finally revealing some important stuff to you! Who is the whistle blower, what has Mac in a tizzy, and what the hell is Reese Lansing up to now? I may not answer all the questions in this one chapter…but I'll do my best! Oh, and thanks Tracy and Lilac for your input!**

Will had forgotten just how much Don's voice in his ear annoyed him. Halfway through the show he had been ready to yank out his earpiece. The only thing that kept him from actually doing it was the thought that Mackenzie was likely sitting at home watching him and would lose what little bit of sanity she had left if she had to watch the offending piece of technology dangling from his collar for thirty minutes.

Once the broadcast was finished he hurried out of the studio and rushed toward Lonny without even bothering to change out of his suit. He knew Mackenzie had told him she would be there when he returned home, but the insecure little boy in him wouldn't believe that until he saw her there…curled up in their bed.

He entered the apartment as quietly as he could and tried not to panic at the utter silence of the place.

"Mackenzie?" he called out softly, just in case she was asleep. "Mac?" he said again, trying not to run around the apartment like a madman in search of her. He found her in bed, wrapped around one of his pillows, grasping something in her hand so tightly that her knuckles were white. And crying…she was crying. That stopped his heart for just a second.

"I know it wasn't one of our better shows Mackenzie, but there's no need to weep over it" he joked as he sat on the side of the bed next to her. He tried to pry her fingers from the sheet of paper she was holding to no avail. She simply sniffed and clasped the object more firmly.

"Kenz? What's wrong?" he cooed, running his fingers through her mussed hair.

"I'm a terrible person" she whispered.

"No you're not. You can't cook and you mangle metaphors so badly that they're indecipherable, but you are an amazing person Mackenzie. What's all this about?" he asked, wondering if maybe there wasn't something more he should be concerned about. Something other than Reese Lansing's diabolic schemes.

"I broke the rules Will" she snuffled.

"Mac, it's late. I'm tired and I'm hungry and I have no clue what you are talking about. Throw an old guy a bone here and tell me what it is that I'm missing" he pleaded.

Will watched as she slowly sat up and loosened her grasp on the piece of paper. She set it down on the mattress between them and unfolded it, running her hand over it again and again to try and smooth the creases from it. Then she handed it to him without a word.

He was shocked. It was the piece of paper they had written their rules on that night of the ACN holiday party. They had both signed their names to the informal agreement. "We never lie, we never cheat, we never leave." Will repeated the words quietly and then looked up at her in confusion. He was desperately trying _not_ to jump to conclusions, but his still fragile heart couldn't help but imagine the worst.

"I broke the rules" she mumbled again, and at the horrified look on his face she suddenly grabbed his hands.

"No! No! Not that one Will! I didn't cheat! I would never do that to you again! But the other two…I broke the other two rules Billy."

His breath left his body in a whoosh. Oh thank God! She hadn't cheated. He almost didn't care what the hell else she was talking about. He was so relieved in that moment that he crushed her to his body and rocked them both back and forth. He really needed a drink.

He released her from his grip and got up and left the room and grabbed a bottle of scotch from the cabinet in the kitchen and filled a glass. Would his fears and anxieties about Mackenzie always be this close to the surface, he wondered? They had put so much behind them, but still, his heart had leapt into his throat the moment she seemed to be on the verge of confessing something. For one sickening instant he had flashed back to his memory of that night when she had sat in this very apartment and told him about Brian Brenner. And then, mercifully, his brain reminded him of his earlier conversation with Charlie. He realized Mackenzie must be talking about _that_ secret. She must be referring to the little sins of omission she had been making these past couple of weeks when she hadn't told him about the whistle blower.

"Billy?" he heard her ask from the doorway, watching his every move with caution.

"I just need a minute Mac. You nearly gave me a heart attack in there" he reassured her. He set the glass down and opened his arms to her. She rushed over and nearly threw herself at him.

"Now, what the hell are you talking about Mac? Does this have anything to do with your daily visits to Charlie's office?" he asked, running his hands up and down her back.

"You know about that?" she said, more than a little stunned.

"Yeah, I know about that. Admittedly, I needed a little help from Sloan, but I finally put two and two together. And then I talked to Charlie."

"Charlie told you?! But, Neal swore us to secrecy! He's worried about his job and his work visa and Reese can be an unmitigated asshole when he wants to be, which is pretty much most of the time. And what the hell will he do when he finds out Neal has the emails and can prove that he was hacking my computer?!"

All of this rushed out of Mackenzie's mouth so quickly and with such relief that Will almost started laughing. In fact, just a moment later, he _did _start laughing. He still didn't really understand what the hell she was talking about, but that could wait until later. Obviously, she had been desperate to share this with him for some time now…so much so that he could hardly fit a word in edgewise.

"Will! This isn't funny! A man's job is at stake! His ability to support his family! Neal pays for his younger sister to go to school, did you know that? How he does it on his salary I haven't the first clue…but Billy! Why are you laughing at this?!" Mackenzie demanded, trying to step out of Will's arms. He just pulled her closer and chuckled into her hair.

"I didn't know Mac. Charlie only told me that you two were investigating the claims of a whistle blower within the company. But I didn't know it was Neal Sampat!" Will exclaimed. "You would make a terrible spy Kenz. You folded like the proverbial cheap suit at the first mention of your little powwows in Charlie's office!"

"Shit!" she cursed, and then stomped away from him over toward the windows. She leaned her head against the pane of glass and watched New York City traffic below her. "I really _am_ a terribly person. I lied to you, I left the show and now I've broken a confidence with Neal as well!"

"You left the show for one broadcast Mac. _One_ broadcast! And you didn't exactly _lie_ to me. You were protecting an employee and a friend. He needed your help and your silence and you gave that to him…for the most part. And those promises we made to each other Mackenzie? Those were about _us_. I think we both know that the most vital part of that agreement is that we never lie or cheat within the confines of _this relationship_. What goes on between the two of us is where we never violate those rules. I understand that, occasionally, there will be a need for Executive Producer Mackenzie to keep a few things from Managing Editor and Anchor Will. And that's ok. What really matters is that at home, and here in our hearts, we are following those rules. Ok?" he asked, as he stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her and clasped their joined hands over her fluttering heart.

"Ok" she said quietly and without much conviction.

"I mean it Mac. You didn't do anything wrong. Well, I could have done without that whole drunken scene in the bar the other night, but aside from that we're fine."

"I was just tired and confused that night Will. I was working so hard to keep us a secret from everyone at the office and keep Neal's new information a secret from you and, I don't know, I guess it all became a little too much. Somehow several shots of tequila sounded like a good idea at the time" she mumbled.

"Well, I'm here to assure you that tequila does not solve your problems Mac. And I'm so sorry that you felt like you couldn't talk to anyone about all of these secrets you were keeping bottled up inside. In fact, as soon as we get all this straightened out with Reese, you go have a girl's night out with Sloan. Tell her anything and everything you want to about us. Tell her how I snore and leave the toilet seat up and leave my dirty socks on the floor. Just don't tell her about our sex life, ok Kenz? I really don't need to wonder why she's giving me odd looks in the morning rundown meetings."

She chuckled a little at that. "I love you Will."

"I know that, and I love you too. Now let's go to bed and you can tell me all about what evil, nefarious things Reese Lansing has been up to in his spare time."

"Do you mind if we don't do that tonight? I really need to spend some time alone with you...wrapped up in your arms. And I don't want the name Reese Lansing uttered in our bedroom" she whispered.

"Agreed. Come on, we'll talk to Charlie and Neal tomorrow and I will make no mention of the fact that you crumbled like a house of cards the second you had a chance!"

"Will! I didn't crumble _that_ easily! I thought you knew! You tricked me!" she shouted out as she chased him back toward the bedroom.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Notes: I apologize profusely everyone! I have fallen terribly behind in my reading, writing and reviewing of fanfic lately. No excuse really, just a little burnt out and a bit short on new ideas. I truly am trying to finish all these stories I have started, but it's been slow going. Bear with me…**

"Mac?" Will whispered. "Kenz?" he tried again. "Mackenzie!" he shouted, finally.

"What?" she asked, oblivious to his distress.

"Stop it, please?" he begged, setting his hand on her knee to stop the annoying tap, tap, tap of her shoe against the front of Charlie's desk.

"Sorry" she replied, then began to drum her fingernails against the arm of the chair she was seated in.

"Mackenzie, would you like to wait in the other room while Will and I have a few words with Mr. Sampat?" Charlie asked her, watching with amusement as Will grabbed her free hand with both of his to stop her incessant fidgeting.

"No, I'm fine, thank you" she told them both, pulling her hand from Will's grasp and crossing her arms over her stomach. Will had called Charlie the previous evening, requesting a meeting amongst the four of them to decide how to proceed.

"Mr. Skinner, you asked to see me?" Neal asked as he walked into the room and then stopped dead in his tracks once he saw both Will and Mackenzie sitting there as well.

"Close the door Neal" Will ordered.

Neal did as he was told and then stood in the center of the room rubbing his hands up and down on his jeans nervously.

"Jesus man! This isn't an interrogation at Gitmo! It's just the three of us having a friendly little conversation about illegal computer hacking. Let's speak theoretically for a moment. Would that make everyone more comfortable?" Charlie asked, looking at Neal in particular. The young man nodded.

"Ok, let's say, for argument's sake, that there was an employee of this company who was rather unpopular with certain members of management. If you were trying to get rid of her, what would you do?" Charlie asked.

"Oh for Christ's sake Charlie! I'm the only woman in the room! Do we really need to couch this in vague, conspiracy-theory language?" Mackenzie asked, dropping her head into her hands. Will chuckled a little and began to speak.

"Ok fine, Reese hates Mackenzie. He hates her for waking me up and knocking some sense back into my head and he hates that he can't intimidate her or buy her. He hates that she's turned NewsNight into a real, honest to God news program instead of the infotainment crap he had me doing before. He wants her gone, but she has a contract and rising ratings on her side. So, what would you do if you were Reese? That's what we're really asking here, isn't it?" Will said evenly, taking Mackenzie's hand into his and squeezing it.

"We already know what he did. When Nina Howard told him you tried to buy her silence on Mackenzie's behalf, Reese hacked Mac's computer to try to find out more…and boy did he" Neal replied quietly.

"What?!" Will asked in shock. He vaguely remembered Mackenzie saying something about hacking and hotmail accounts the previous evening, but he had been so focused on her tears that he had tuned most of that out.

"He didn't go after her cell phone this time. That's wiretapping and that's illegal. The rules are a little more nebulous where company-owned computers are concerned, or so Neal tells us" Charlie informed his anchorman. He got up and poured Will a scotch. He sensed the man was going to need some calming.

"How the hell did you get involved in this anyway? And why didn't I know about it?" Will asked, eyeing the scotch, and Charlie, with some suspicion. Charlie nodded toward Neal to explain.

"Three weeks ago I was outside Reese's office waiting for you Will. Do you remember? But Reese was having trouble with his computer and everyone in IT was busy. I offered to help. When I got Windows up and running for him again, the last document he had been working on reappeared on the computer screen. It was a memo detailing how to install a key-logger application on Mackenzie's computer. That, in and of itself, is not illegal. AWM owns Mackenzie's computer and, as such, has every right to access any and all information on it. What is illegal is that Reese used the key-logger to record her login and password for her personal email account. He's been using that to access her hotmail account for the last month."

Will sat there absorbing the information and what it could mean to them.

"Why would he care what was in her personal emails?" Will asked. Mackenzie laughed.

"Think about it Will" she said.

"Oh" he replied, face flaming red.

"Are you two fucking idiots? You've both had tabloid stories written about you and you send each other fucking love notes via email?" Charlie asked, trying to keep from laughing himself.

"Hey, at least it wasn't a sex tape" Will chuckled. Neal ducked his head.

"I'm glad you all think this is funny. I'm going to be the one that gets fired here" Mackenzie grumbled.

"Oh for God's sake, nobody is getting fired! So, Reese has a few steamy emails. What the hell does that matter? We're both consenting adults. So, we forgot to go to Human Resources first? Who the hell cares? Besides, we have no proof of any of this, do we? It's Neal's word against Reese's and we're not going to put Neal in that position" Will assured the young man.

"But I do have proof" Neal interjected, shocking everyone into silence.

"What?!" Will, Charlie and Mackenzie shouted simultaneously.

"Well, I got tired of knowing that he had done something illegal and immoral and there wasn't a damn thing we could do about it. Then I realized there was. I called Microsoft and got a log of all the IP addresses that were used to access Mackenzie's hotmail account and guess what? Reese Lansing's desktop and personal laptop were at the top of the list. He's accessing the damn account almost as much as you are Mac" Neal told them.

"And this is proof that would stand up in a court of law? Criminal _or_ civil? You didn't misrepresent yourself to Microsoft or any other institution to get this information?" Will asked, not quite believing what he was hearing.

"You're the lawyer here Will. You would know better than I would if my actions violate any sort of chain of custody laws. But I did not, at any time, lie or misrepresent my position at AWM in order to get those IP address logs. I don't know whether they would hold up in court but they would certainly negate Mackenzie's employment contract if she wished to get out of it" Neal offered.

"But I don't want out of it" she said quietly.

"Yes you do" Will corrected.

"What? What are you saying Will? That you want me to leave NewsNight?"

"No, of course not. But the minute he hacked your email, he hacked mine as well. Most of your personal email, aside from a few friends and family members, is to me. He was viewing the private correspondence of two employees without their knowledge or consent. So, I quit!" Will said happily.

"Will! You don't want to do that. Let me deal with Reese. Let me…" but Will cut her off.

"No, don't you understand Mackenzie? This means you no longer have to have a 156 week contract that gives me the option of firing you at the end of every week. And I no longer have to pay AWM a million dollars a year for the privilege of being _able_ to fire you. We get to start all over. A clean slate" he told her, looking her in the eyes and willing her to understand that he was talking about more than contracts…he was talking about _them_. Everything was forgiven…everything would be new again.

"Oh" she whispered, a little awe-struck.

"Exactly" he whispered, squeezing her hand in his and then pulling it up to his mouth so he could kiss it.

"You get carte blanche" Charlie said, clearing his throat to remind the couple they weren't alone. "You can have everything you want: no ratings clauses, no non-compete clauses and you can name your salaries. We have proof we can use this time. We couldn't use the audio recording of Reese admitting to phone hacking because the minute we didn't report it to the FBI we became accomplices. But this time, all of our hands are clean. Except for Reese's" Charlie said, smiling smugly.

"Where's the proof?" Will asked, voice a little choked up in shock. Neal pulled a printout of IP address logs from his back pocket and handed them over, looking more than a little relieved to finally be freed of the burden he had been carrying.

"Thank you Neal" Mackenzie told the young man, speaking for Will, who seemed a little stunned at the moment. Neal nodded and left the room.

"So, what do we do now?" Will asked.

"Now, we quit" Mackenzie replied.

They entered the newsroom, holding hands and bumping into each other and grinning, and parted only to go into their separate offices to pack up a few things. If they were going to make Reese believe they had every intention of walking away from ACN, they better make it look convincing.

"Ready?" Mackenzie asked, standing in his doorway with a banker's box and a large tote bag, both filled to the brim.

"Yes…I am" he said firmly, looking around his office and knowing there was no way in hell he was carrying everything he owned out of this place today. But he had a few books and files and the most important photos and awards packed away in an ACN duffel bag. He slung it over his shoulder and grabbed the box from Mackenzie's hands and followed her down the hall.

"You're going to hear some things over the next few days, and right now we can't confirm or deny too much of it, but suffice it to say Mackenzie and I are leaving the network…immediately. You've all been wonderful to work with and I'm sure Terry or Elliot will pull most of you over to their staff until a new show is ready to fill in for NewsNight. Goodbye everyone" Will said to a stunned newsroom. Neal looked as if he was about to be sick and the rest of them looked like deer in the headlights.

"What the fuck did you two do?" Sloan shouted, breaking the silence.

"Nothing that concerns you Sloan. Go back to work everyone. You have jobs to do" Will replied firmly and pulled Mackenzie out of the room with him.

"Did we really just do that?" Mackenzie asked once they were in the elevator.

"Yeah, we did Mac. What do you want to do now? Lunch at Le Cirque? Matinee show? Go home and figure out where the hell we're going to live if this all doesn't work out in our favor? Because we can't keep living on the Lower West Side if neither one of us has a job" he muttered, his confidence finally wavering now that they were alone.

"We'll be fine Will. We both have savings. I have a trust fund. And we can sue the hell out of Reese Lansing and AWM if he doesn't come crawling back to us soon with new contracts. That is the plan right? We are just calling his bluff here…aren't we?" she asked, leaning against him in shock.

"I sure as hell hope that's what we're doing. You and I will kill each other in under a month if we have to spend twenty-four hours a day together in a fifth-floor walk up watching whatever Bill O'Reilly wannabe Reese hires to fill my anchor chair."


	8. Chapter 8

Looking back on it now, they should have been better prepared for everything that happened next. They should have gone home and called their agents and their lawyers and Charlie, and hell, anybody but the Mexican place down the street that made the most amazing guacamole.

Because once the guacamole came and they'd had a margarita or two or four…well, everything that came next was a blur. He remembered watching her light the long forgotten blunt that had been hiding in the back of his dresser drawer, the one they'd gone searching through for some comfortable old clothes to wear. He remembered eating way too much guacamole and chips after finishing said joint. And he remembered watching Mackenzie sway around the apartment in an old t-shirt of his, and nothing else, while she clumsily slurped at her third margarita. That's when it all went to hell…sort of.

"What the fuck are you two celebrating?!" Sloan shouted as she entered their apartment and stood staring at the sight before her. Mackenzie was wavering about on unsteady legs, humming along with the Beatles, while Will watched her admiringly. Damn it! He knew they shouldn't have given Sloan the code to the elevator!

"Sloan! Come celebrate our liberation with us!" Mackenzie shouted over the CD currently playing.

"I absolutely will not celebrate _anything_ with the pair of you! You just abandoned your entire team!" the economist declared, crossing her arms and trying not to laugh at the scene.

"We did no such thing Sloan. Would you like a margarita or some guacamole? Wait, I think we ate all the guacamole. Did we eat all the guacamole Mac?" Will asked, with a slightly tipsy grin.

"You two are high!" Sloan shouted, looking at the end of a joint sitting in the ashtray on the coffee table.

"We are less than fully cognizant of our surroundings" Will said indignantly, the lawyer in him coming to the surface, and finding every way possible to _not_ say that they were under the influence.

"Yeah, ok….you're high" Sloan muttered. "Do you want to tell me what the hell that little scene was in the office today?"

"I don't know…do we want to tell her Mac?" Will asked, still a little too enthralled with the way Mackenzie was dancing around the room.

"Hey! Eyes over here Will! And you! Get your ass on this couch and tell me what the hell you two are playing at!" Sloan demanded. Mackenzie giggled and flopped down onto the couch next to Will. He pulled her closer and she snuggled into his side.

"Please stop making googly eyes at each other and tell me you have a plan here, other than spending your days smoking weed and drinking and looking longingly at each other?" Sloan begged.

"You don't need to know everything Sloan, but suffice it to say, we have Reese Lansing right where we want him. But if he's too blind to see that, then we'll leave" Will replied. That sobered Mackenzie up a little.

"We will?" she asked, stunned that he would make that move.

"If we have to. I'm tired of it Mac. I'm tired of knowing that all we're trying to do is bring the truth to the American people, and yet somehow, we get death threats and job threats and relationship threats. Maybe it isn't worth it anymore" he mumbled, then downed the last of his margarita and pulled her onto his lap, forgetting Sloan was even there.

The phone on the side table rang and Will clumsily reached for it, mumbling a few muffled grunts and acknowledgments into the mouthpiece.

"Who was that?" Mac asked.

"Reese Lansing" Will replied, leaning his head against hers sleepily.

"What?!" Sloan shouted, disrupting their quiet embrace. "You two are higher than a kite and drunk to boot! He can't see you like this! This is no time for a fucking contract negotiation!"

"I beg to differ Sloan. I think drunk and stoned is the best way to deal with Reese Lansing. In fact, it may well be the _only_ way to deal with the man" Will grinned, mildly amused with himself.

"Crap! Do I have to do _everything_ for you guys?!" Sloan mumbled. "Mackenzie! Get up and put some pants on, and Will, wipe that dopey grin off your face! You will never negotiate a new contract with Reese in this condition."

Then they all heard the elevator door open and Will mumbled "too late" into Mackenzie's hair. She giggled in response. Sloan just dropped her head into her hands and waited for the inevitable disaster she was about to watch.

"Well! I hear congratulations are in order. I guess the relationship is no longer under wraps then?" Reese gloated as he entered the room.

"For the record, the _relationship_, never was under wraps. We've only been back together a few weeks. Did you expect us to have sex on the conference table during the rundown meeting?" Will asked the man standing before them all.

"Please, do not put _that_ image in my brain" Sloan mumbled. Reese snorted. Will just pulled Mackenzie a little closer and smirked at them both.

"Ok, I get it. You think this is brave and gallant and the knight in shining armor routine is going to turn her on? Well fine, be the hero for a day or two. Fuck her senseless, then get back to work. Your girlfriend is out of a job, though" Reese said, and started to turn to leave.

"You fucking asshole!" Will shouted, pushing Mackenzie off his lap and rushing toward Reese so fast that it shocked everyone in the room.

"Will! No! He's not worth it" Mackenzie managed to shout in the nick of time. Just as Will was about to take a swing at the man, he paused…long enough for Mackenzie to reach his side and pull him back toward the couch.

"This whole display is touching, really, but let's wrap this thing up in time for tomorrow's show. And there will be a show tomorrow. You are under contract" Reese reminded Will.

"No I'm not. You have been monitoring and collecting personal information on your employees. That's illegal and it's grounds for the nullification of our contracts. You owe me three million dollars Reese. And that's just for starters. Mackenzie fully intends to sue your ass for all it's worth. You really shouldn't mess with a lawyer and an argumentative journalist. We enjoy a good fight."

Mackenzie chuckled at the gaping fish look on the face of ACN's president. Sloan just looked back and forth between all of her bosses. Reese was beginning to look incredibly uncomfortable and she still couldn't quite understand why. Will was looking more relaxed by the minute, and she found this disturbing. Was it the pot and the alcohol or did he really not care what happened now?

"You _really_ need to learn to cover your tracks better Reese" Will warned quietly. Sloan watched everyone in the room try to decide who was bluffing and who was dead serious.

"I'm her boss. I _own_ her fucking computer Will. There was no need to cover my tracks. And by the way, next time you screw your E.P. try not to write about it in an email anyone could stumble upon" Reese said with a lecherous grin on his face. He seemed to be looking appreciatively at Mackenzie's legs. That was the last straw for Will.

"You know Reese, I was going to try to be charitable about this. Ask for a few modifications to our contracts, maybe an extra week or two of vacation a year, and we'd go merrily on our way. But fuck charitable and fuck you too Reese if you don't stop staring at my girlfriend's legs in the next five seconds!"

Sloan stood rooted to the spot for a moment watching the showdown. Then she noticed the way Will's fists were clenching and unclenching and she decided that perhaps some peacemaking was in order. She grabbed a blanket off the chair in the corner of the room and walked over to Mackenzie to throw it over her legs. Then she backed away from the sofa and sat at the dining room table, ready for the shit to hit the proverbial fan.

"You don't have anything Will. Admit it" Reese said,

"On the contrary, I have a memo detailing your plan to hack into Mackenzie's personal email and an IP address log detailing when, where and how many times you did just that. Who's bluffing now Reese?" Will asked.

No one said anything for a few minutes. All that could be heard was the ticking of a clock, the distant sounds of New York City traffic and the beating of her heart. Sloan was certain they all could hear it. She didn't do high-stakes bargaining and its attendant drama very well…but Will did. Damn, he must have been a hell of a lawyer once upon a time, because he just hit Reese Lansing with one of those Perry Mason moments every first-year law student dreamed of. And Will did it while drunk and stoned!

"What do you want?" Reese asked through clenched teeth.

"A new contract, a raise, no ratings clause and no non-compete clause" Will said clearly and concisely.

"Ok" Reese nodded dumbly.

"And I want the same for Mackenzie" Will added. Reese blanched.

"Fine" Reese finally agreed, though it looked like he was about to shatter all of his teeth, he was grinding them so forcefully.

"Well then, I say everyone got what they wanted. Let's leave these two alone, shall we?" Sloan asked Reese, getting up and trying to guide him back toward the elevator before anything else could be said…before this uneasy truce could be shattered.

"And two more weeks vacation" Mackenzie piped up, shocking them all. What the hell did she care about vacation days, Sloan wondered? She never took them!

"And a better dental plan. Did you know I had to pay for my last root canal?" Will asked someone…no one in the room was quite sure who.

"And the coffee in the break room is awful" Mackenzie added. Oh shit, they really were still higher than Bill Clinton at an anti-war rally. Sloan just thumped her head against the wall and prayed for an earthquake to swallow her up. Unlikely on the twentieth floor of downtown Manhattan, but hey, a girl could dream.

"What, exactly, did you want me to do about the quality of Folger's?" Reese asked.

"The coffee maker sucks" Will agreed. "I think we need a barista in there."

"Caramel Macchiatos for everyone!" Mackenzie shouted approvingly, applauding this latest demand. Sloan chuckled despite herself.

"And Charlie's scotch…" Will slurred.

"He drinks too much of it. What did you want me to do about that?" Reese grunted.

"I want you to keep it stocked…at all times" Will told his boss.

"Do you have any idea how much money it will cost to keep Charlie Skinner supplied with Glenlivet for the rest of his life?! AWM will go under!" Reese shouted.

"I'm sure you'll find a way to make it happen Reese. And another thing…" Will began, but Sloan cut him off before he could request a twenty-four hour masseuse on the premises, or whatever the hell he was about to ask for next.

"That's quite enough for now, don't you two think?" Sloan asked, glaring at the couple, willing them to shut the hell up before anything could go wrong with the delicate peace treaty they had just reached.

Once she had shown Reese the door she turned and looked at the slumped figures on the couch and laughed. They were, once again, a tangle of arms and legs that she knew she would never unknot. So, she moved about the room, silently picking up their glasses and plates and getting rid of the remnants of marijuana.

"Are you going to be ok?" she asked them, as she prepared to leave the couple to their own devices. But apparently Mackenzie had expended her last bit of energy on coffee maker demands, because she was now passed out and snoring.

"Sure, we're fine. Are _you_ going to be ok?" Will asked, looking pointedly at Sloan's shaking hands. She hadn't even realized how nervous she had been for the last twenty minutes.

"It's not every day you witness a power broker showdown" Sloan said quietly, clenching her hands together to stop the shaking.

"I never intended to let him win Sloan. I may have been willing to put myself on the line…but never Mackenzie" he said quietly, looking down at the sleeping woman in his arms. He suddenly seemed a lot more sober than he had a few minutes before.

"I guess I should have known that" Sloan mumbled. "Please tell me you aren't going to try and do a show tonight Will?"

"Of course not! I need a night off. _We_ need a night off. And besides, this way, Reese Lansing has to explain to his mother why we're not there. Wouldn't you love to be a fly on the wall for _that_ conversation?" Will chuckled.

Sloan nodded in agreement, but what she really wanted to say was 'no, I would _not_ like to be a fly on the wall for that conversation. I didn't even want to be here for the conversation I just witnessed!'

But, in a way, she was glad she had witnessed it. She knew that, despite all his bluster, Will really was just a softie who would go to any lengths to protect those he loved. What she had seen this evening only confirmed it.

And as she watched him lay back on the sofa, pulling Mackenzie down on top of him and curling up to sleep, she wondered just how much she _didn't _ know about these two.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Notes: Sorry this last chapter has taken so long to finish. There have probably been four versions of it at this point. I just couldn't figure out how to end it! Hope you all enjoy, and as promised, I will soon be posting a multi-chapter fic that is already done…so no worrying about if I'm ever going to get around to finishing it! Yay! Thanks go out to LilacMermaid and teanc09, who have, by now, read about 3 versions of this chapter. Thanks so much ladies for the input and encouragement! On with the story…**

_Two Weeks Later…_

When, exactly, had eloping with the woman you have loved for more than ten years become a crime? If it actually was illegal, someone should have warned him of that, before he dragged Mackenzie across the Atlantic to escape Reese Lansing's wrath. Someone should have told him that there were consequences to unannounced vacations and weddings and honeymoons. Someone should have reminded him of Sloan Sabbith's tendency to fly off the handle when she felt something important had escaped her notice. But nobody had and so, once again, Will found himself totally unprepared for the events unfolding around him. He had been a damn Boy Scout for God's sake! How in the hell did he keep wandering into these situations absolutely clueless? His troop leader would be so disappointed.

But really, what more could he have done? Asked Sloan for Mackenzie's hand in marriage? Sent out decoys to throw the woman of their scent? He knew better. When it came to office gossip and matchmaking, Sloan Sabbith was at the top of her game. Will never stood a chance.

He supposed he could have called Charlie, or Jim, or hell…maybe even Page Six to see if word of their nuptials had spread. He didn't…and it had. Sloan was going to kill them. Or maybe just him. Maybe she would show some mercy toward Mackenzie and let her live. Damn, and he had so been hoping they would get to spend at least one evening at home, alone, before Sloan dismembered their recently married bodies. The chances of that happening were slim to none, though, if the frantically pacing economist outside the international arrivals area of JFK was any indication.

"What the hell is this?" Sloan shouted, over the crowds of tourists exiting customs and moving, en masse, toward baggage claim. She held a newspaper aloft as she screeched at them.

"It's a newspaper Sloan. I thought you'd be familiar with such a thing, being a journalist and all" Mackenzie shot back. Will chuckled, then thought better of it when he caught the absolute lack of humor in Sloan's visage.

"I know _exactly_ what it is _Mrs. McAvoy_! Perhaps you'd like to tell me why I, along with eight million other people in the city of New York, read about my _friend's_ marriage through a piece of trash like this!" Sloan shouted, flinging the paper toward the ground as if her journalistic ethics had been compromised merely by holding the damn thing.

"Actually Sloan, there are nearly 8.5 million inhabitants of the big apple, as per the most recent census data, and I highly doubt _all_ of them read Page Six. I have more faith in my fellow New Yorkers than that" Will told her, then jumped back when she turned so sharply she nearly hit him with her purse.

"Can we get back to the point at hand?!" Sloan shouted, red faced and huffy. "I knew the two of you high-tailed it out of town the minute Reese agreed to your contract demands. And I thought that it was probably damn good planning on your part. None of us really wanted to be in the same room with the man the past couple of weeks but _we_ didn't have a choice! He's a sore loser Will and he's been taking it out on all of us. But we understood, you guys have been under a lot of stress and maybe it was time to take the newly minted relationship out of the pressure cooker of AWM and the New York gossip rags. What I don't understand is why you couldn't, I don't know, _call_ someone and tell them your little two week get away to Paris was really an elopement in disguise?!"

"What would have been the point of eloping if we announced it to everyone first?" Will asked, truly confused by the question. Didn't most people elope to _avoid_ confrontations like this? To steer clear of family squabbles and bridesmaid's dresses and Reese Lansing popping up when the minister asked "if there is anyone here who objects to this union, speak now or forever hold your peace?" Ok, that last part was probably something only he and Mackenzie needed to worry about, but still, it had all seemed so much easier, so much less problematic, so _romantic_, to sweep Mac off her feet and whisk her to Paris to get married and spend a week at the Hotel du Jeu de Paume. They had spent another week visiting Mackenzie's family in London. Their return to the U.S., and to Sloan's histrionics, was spoiling the mood though. And still, the woman stood before them, tapping her heel impatiently and waiting for an answer.

"We're sorry?" Mackenzie squeaked out, and Will wondered what in the hell she was apologizing for. For getting married or for not telling Sloan? He rather thought the getting married part had been a brilliant idea. He tried not to stare down at his hand in wonder, a wedding band shining brightly, where previously nothing had adorned that finger for the first fifty-four years of his life. Huh…amazing what one slim band of gold could change.

"You owe me. You both do" Sloan huffed, breaking Will from his reverie.

"What exactly do we owe you and why?" he asked, pulling Mac back toward the wall and out of the way of the rush of tourists and locals all barreling toward the exits. She took that moment to cuddle into his side and he rested his head against hers. Yeah, they were still in that sickening love-sick honeymoon phase. How the hell were they ever going to be hard-nosed journalists again, he wondered as he sniffed her hair. Despite six hours on a plane she still smelled damn good. Where the hell was a taxi, and a dramatic dip in the Dow Jones industrial, when you needed one? They really needed something to distract Sloan from her tirade.

"Hey! Stop holding hands like sappy teenagers in love and pay some attention to what I'm trying to say!" Sloan shouted. Will stood up a little straighter. Sloan could sound disturbingly like his third grade gym teacher when she got that tone of voice. "Stand up straight and shoot the damn ball McAvoy!" Will chuckled as the image of number-crunching Sloan Sabbith trying to teach any sort of team sport to third graders entered his head. Sloan did not look amused.

"I'm sorry Sloan. You were saying?" Mackenzie replied sweetly, elbowing him in the side to stop his quiet laughter.

"No one has known how to reach you for two weeks! No one knew if you were ever coming back! And Reese Lansing has been riding our collective ass the entire time! You owe us…you owe us big!" Sloan shrieked, but amazingly her rant drew little attention from all the weary travelers around them. Sometimes, it was actually possible to disappear into the crush of humanity in New York City, even if you were famous. Will was exceeding glad that this was one of those moments.

"Well, here we are, safe and sound. We will be back at work in two days and life will return to normal for everyone. Isn't that enough repayment Sloan? What do you want, our firstborn child?" Will asked. Mackenzie poked him in the side as if to remind him that, currently, that was a distinct possibility. Birth control hadn't been at the top of their list of priorities the last couple of weeks.

"No, I want you two to put in an appearance at Hang Chew's and let your employees know that you haven't abandoned them. I want you to give a damn about someone other than yourselves for an hour or two. I want you to boost office morale, because lately, it's been in the crapper. Then you can go back to staring longingly into each other's eyes."

Will looked at Mackenzie. She nodded tiredly. Sloan had won…this round.

As they wearily trudged out to meet Lonny, Will wondered how this had all gone so wrong. How had their two week wedding and honeymoon trip _not _ended in a long hot soak in their bathtub while sipping champagne? How had they ended up riding in the backseat of an SUV feeling like children who had just been scolded? He turned to look at Mackenzie, wondering what she was thinking. She looked at him, seemingly equally horror-struck at the loss of that warm soak together, and they both burst out laughing.

"I don't know what you two are laughing at. You do realize you're buying the drinks, right?" Sloan announced from the front seat. They both just nodded, suitably chastised, but still grinning at each other. An uneasy silence descended upon the occupants of the SUV.

"Surprise!" came the shouts and screams of an entire bar filled with drunk journalists. Will and Mackenzie blinked into the darkness of the bar and stared in wonder. Everyone they worked with, and quite a few people from other networks and broadcasts, were all packed together within the walls of Hang Chews. It was sweet, and lovely, and…truly bizarre. Somehow seeing Jim and Neal sidled up to Anderson Cooper and Sanjay Gupta was just, well, disturbing. Were they talking about Bigfoot? Or maybe the SARS virus and how it was really just a government conspiracy intended to thin out the population? Damn, jet-lag was really beginning to get to him. He needed a drink and then a bed and then his wife…not necessarily in that order.

"I thought you said you didn't know? Weren't you the one that was haranguing us at the airport for not informing you of our wedding plans?" Mackenzie asked Sloan.

"I have my sources" Sloan said smiling, clearly pleased with herself.

"Charlie" both Will and Mackenzie replied.

"Hey, I might have found out without him!" Sloan replied indignantly. Truth was, they hadn't even told Charlie about their wedding, but the man just had a sixth sense about these things. Maybe it was all the years in the field covering everything from wars to corporate take-overs. Maybe it was all that scotch he drank. Maybe it was the bow-ties! Whatever the hell it was, Will had stopped questioning it. He nodded at the man and Charlie just smiled back. That maddening, 'I know everything smile.' Will laughed and he and Mackenzie settled in for drinks and congratulations and celebrations.

Later that evening, Will sat back in a booth, leaning against the wall and propping his leg up on the seat and watching everyone around him sink into a drunken stupor. As he observed his staff, three things occurred to him. One, Jim and Maggie should never again sing _American Pie_. If Don McLean weren't still alive, he'd be rolling over in his grave…the day the music died indeed! Two, Mackenzie and Sloan drunk, with their heads tilted together in conspiracy, scared the shit out of him... but he would never tire of watching his wife look at him longingly from the other side of the room. And three, what the hell was Leona Lansing doing in Hang Chew's?

He did a double take, glancing around to see if anyone else noticed the billionaire media mogul slumming it among her employees. No one else was paying the slightest bit of attention to anything other than the free drinks they were slurping up courtesy of him, Mac and Charlie. Speaking of, Charlie and Leona seemed quite close these days. He watched as Leona leaned over and whispered something into the news director's ear, and he laughed! Charlie Skinner and Leona Lansing were canoodling! Ok, maybe the staff weren't the only ones that were drunk. He had just used the word canoodling…or at least thought it.

"I'm not nearly as drunk as you think I am" Mackenzie announced, interrupting his musings.

"Thank God. Wouldn't want a repeat of the great fortieth birthday debacle. By the way, you do a great Johnny Depp/Jack Sparrow impersonation" he told her. She cocked her head at him and took a seat in the vee of his legs.

"How the hell do you even know who Jack Sparrow is?" she asked, honestly curious as to how a man who spent virtually every waking hour either working or watching the news or sports or musical theater, had the slightest clue about a Disney character.

"I try to expand my movie viewing horizons occasionally Mackenzie" he replied, mock seriously.

"And?" she asked, knowing him too well to think there wasn't more to the story.

"And my sister and her kids came to visit a few years ago. I was their hero when I got them into the _Pirates of the Caribbean_ opening" he admitted. "It wasn't a half-bad movie."

"Softie" she laughed, poking him in the side.

"I seem to remember you dragging me to a showing of _The Chronicles of Narnia_ Mac" he reminded her.

"It's C.S. Lewis Will. It's a classic" she defended.

"Whatever you say dear" he replied. He was picking up this husband thing quite quickly. "Have you noticed the couple over in the corner?" he asked, pulling her back against his chest and pointing toward the back of the bar. Mackenzie did a double-take.

"That's…that's…" she started, but couldn't quite seem to finish.

"I think the word you're looking for is holy fuck" he supplied.

"That's two words Will, and actually, I was going to say they look good together. They look…happy."

Oh Jesus, the woman was a hopeless romantic. She wanted to pair everyone up these days. If it wasn't Jim and Maggie or Sloan and Don, it was any one of a number of friends and acquaintances. Mackenzie was cupid run amuck! He had to stop her, so he did what came naturally where Mackenzie was concerned, and kissed her until she forgot about trying to pair anyone else up but them.

"We're not going to have a repeat of the birthday extravaganza, are we? Because I really don't want to have to hose you two down" Sloan grumbled, as she nearly toppled into the seat across from them. She still had that angry, pinched look on her face…despite the drink in her hand. Were they really going to have to keep apologizing for getting married? It didn't seem right somehow.

"Don't you have somewhere to be Sloan? Like the Fed, or Treasury, or being the banker in a particularly cutthroat game of Monopoly?" Will asked, wrapping his arms around Mackenzie despite the economist's glare.

"You're hilarious Will" Sloan replied, looking down into her martini with confusion. "Why is my drink staring up at me guys?" she asked, looking to the happy couple for answers.

"They're olives Sloan, not eyes. How many of those have you had?" Will asked, waving Don over and asking him to find her a cab. Mackenzie's eyebrows shot up to her hairline and she coughed out something that sounded suspiciously like "fix up", but he let it go. Two minutes later, when she mumbled "told you so" into her hand, he poked his finger into her side. She glared, but her happy smile and the way she leaned into him told him he had done something right and would, hopefully, be getting lucky tonight…if he didn't have to carry her home that is.

Suddenly the clinking of glasses and the clearing of throats alerted Will to Charlie and Leona standing at the front of the room and trying to garner the attention of a pack of drunken journalists. Charlie let out a piercing wolf-whistle.

"Thank you Charlie" Leona replied and turned to address the room. "I understand you are all excited to have your anchor and executive producer back" she said, and the staff hollered and clapped. Mackenzie blushed.

"As I was saying, I understand your excitement, but I hope you all know that nothing of significance has changed. Aside from the fact that my douchebag of a son will be spending significantly more time in the mail room from now on" she mumbled, but not so quietly that several people near her, including Will, didn't hear. He laughed…loudly.

"Will!" Mackenzie shushed him, but he couldn't stop himself. Something about the image of Leona Lansing scolding her forty-year old son for computer hacking tickled his funny bone. He imagined it was something like when Mackenzie yelled at him for trying to sneak in a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich in the middle of the night. That thought sobered him up a little.

"I didn't actually say that out loud, did I?" Leona asked Charlie, a little tipsily. Charlie pushed her down in the chair next to him and resumed the welcome-back speech.

"I think what Leona was trying to say to all of you was that, despite a few staff changes and policy shifts recently, we hope you all know that NewsNight, at its core, will remain the same. Your esteemed anchor and E.P, who apparently are now husband and wife as well…" Charlie smirked as the entire room erupted in applause. Will and Mac ducked their heads.

"As I was saying, your anchor and E.P. will continue to be at the helm of the show. To NewsNight 3.0, long may she reign!" Charlie declared. Drunken applause and whistles abounded and Charlie and Leona soon took their leave. Will, Mackenzie and Lonny were somehow left with the less than thrilling job of seeing their highly socially-lubricated staff into cabs. What a way to spend your honeymoon, Will thought.

He had never been so glad to walk through his front door in his life. His job was secure, his staff was safely at home sleeping off their hangovers, and his wife (his _wife_!) was dropping articles of clothing onto the floor of their apartment as she made her way toward their bed.

"So, Charlie and Leona, huh?" Mackenzie asked him, her face buried in a sea of pillows as she plopped down onto the bed, drunk and jet-lagged and boneless with fatigue.

"You don't know _everything_ Mac" he whispered into her ear as he climbed onto the bed next to her and began rubbing her shoulders. She moaned in relief.

"Just how much _don't _I know Will?" she asked huffily and sat up.

"They've known each other for nearly thirty years Mac. You don't think anything's ever happened between the two of them?" he asked rhetorically. How in the hell did they end up talking about Charlie and Leona's love life on their first night at home as a married couple?

"But, but…" she stuttered.

"But what?" he asked, pulling her into his side as he learned against the pillows.

"But they're like…my parents or something" she muttered. He laughed.

"And I'm sure to most of the staffers in the newsroom, _we_ are like _their_ parents. Doesn't mean we don't come home at night and christen every surface of this apartment" he reminded her.

"First of all, that thing on the terrace was your idea. I had waffle-mark impressions on my ass for days after that little frolic on the wicker loveseat. And secondly, I refuse to believe that any of my employees see me as a mother figure. Wise older sister, perhaps, but never a mother! You, however, may well be seen as a father figure in some of their eyes" she said indignantly.

"Fine, my much younger trophy wife, whatever you say. Now, may I ask you a question, or are you too drunk to answer clearly?"

"I am not drunk Will! Pleasantly buzzed, tipsy and jet-lagged even, but not drunk. What do you want to know?"

"Why _this _time Kenz? Why now?" he asked carefully, and he could tell from the look in her eyes that she knew exactly what he was asking.

"I was ready this time Billy. I knew what I would be losing" she told him, holding his hand firmly and hoping that he understood why she couldn't have married him all those years ago, when they first discussed that promised trip to Paris for their joint birthdays. As soon as long-term commitments and engagements and babies started to drift into their daily conversations she had panicked and run for the hills…straight into the sleazy arms of Brian Brenner.

"That's not all it was though, right Kenz? It wasn't just fear that if you didn't commit to me this time, you would lose me again?" he asked, and she could still see the scared, hurt little boy who needed reassurance that he was wanted and loved.

"Of course that's not all it is Billy. You're my human credential" she told him simply.

"Your what?" he asked, confused.

"It's something Sloan asked me a couple of weeks ago. She wanted to know if I was the one good, steady, honest relationship in your life. The proof that you weren't this aloof, cold-hearted Grinch that so many people seem to think you are. I told her that she had it all wrong. _You_ are my human credential Billy. Despite everything that has happened to you, despite all you've suffered, a lot of it at my hands, you took me back. You love me. Sometimes I'm not sure why, but I know I'll never take it for granted again. Everyone around here thinks that I'm the one that makes you a better anchor…willing to push harder and not settle for less. And maybe that's true…professionally. But you're the one that pushes me to be a better _person_ Will. Why in the world would I want to lose that? Why wouldn't I want to be married to a man like that…like you?" she asked, and watched as a tear streaked down his cheek.

"Ok" he said simply.

"Ok" she nodded, slumping into his embrace with fatigue and relief.

"You didn't notice your wedding present" he whispered into her hair.

"I get a wedding present? Wasn't the trip and the ceremony and the ring enough?" she asked, marveling at the lovely diamonds on her left finger.

"Look up" he nodded, and she stared at the ceiling.

"Not _there_" he said, chuckling. "_There_" he told her, tilting his head up at the picture frame that now hung over the headboard of their bed. She turned in his arms to get a better look. Within a lovely gilt frame was enclosed their informal contract…along with their more formal marriage license.

"I figure they're both pretty good commitments to live by" he said solemnly. And they were.

Mackenzie looked him firmly in the eye as she repeated those words that they had signed their names to months ago…"we never lie, we never cheat, we never leave."

"Never" he repeated.

"Now…let's work on forever" she told him, sealing their deal with a kiss.

**The End.**


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